Pocket bread is a flatbread, such as pita, that puffs up during baking, resulting in a large pocket in the center that can be filled to make sandwiches. For hundreds of years, these types of bread have been a staple food in places like the Middle East and Greece. They’re frequently accompanied by hummus, cooked meats like lamb, or even American classics like peanut butter and jelly or bologna and cheese. Pocket bread can be found in grocery stores and supermarkets all over the world, or it can be easily made at home.
Pocket bread is traditionally baked in a very hot brick oven, which provides the heat required to create the air pocket in the middle of the bread during baking. However, modern home ovens can be set to high temperatures to achieve this effect, and pita and other similar pocket breads are relatively easy to make. Most recipes call for only water, yeast, and flour, though sugar or honey can be added to enhance the flavor of the resulting pocket bread.
Pocket bread is typically made by combining yeast and water, though sugar is frequently added to give the yeast more to eat and allow the dough to rise more. Some recipes call for a pinch of sugar or honey when mixing everything together, but it’s often easier to dissolve the sugar in the water with the yeast. After that, it’s mixed in with the flour. The amount of flour is gradually increased until the dough forms and mixing with a hand or stand mixer becomes too difficult.
The dough is then kneaded on a floured surface until it is no longer sticky and has softened and become workable. Depending on the recipe, the pocket bread dough is covered and left to rise for anywhere from a half hour to two hours. After that, the dough is divided into individual pieces, which are then rounded and flattened. After that, the flattened pieces are baked in a very hot oven.
The majority of recipes call for a hot brick oven or a standard home oven preheated to 500° F (260° C) for five to ten minutes. When the pocket bread is lightly browned and puffs up significantly, it is done. Some recipes also call for punching a small hole in the inflated area to help the bread flatten faster. The pocket bread can then be filled with a variety of fillings, including hummus and lamb sandwiches with cucumber salad, which are popular.